Free Day
by Moonprincess92
Summary: On the 2nd May, many people all over England are waking up at four thirty to stand at dawn in the Hogwarts grounds. Why? To remember the Battle of Hogwarts, and the resulting freedom. :Oneshot slight RHr HG postDH:


**DISCLAIMER: **I still don't own HP.

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Free Day.

Blurb …

On the 4th May, many people all over England are waking up at four thirty to stand at dawn in the Hogwarts grounds. Why? To remember the Battle of Hogwarts, and the resulting freedom. :Oneshot slight RHr HG postDH:

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At four thirty in the morning on the 2nd of May, most people would probably be asleep. The Burrow household, however, found 10 people sitting bleary-eyed at the kitchen table, all trying to get awake, for when they would dispparate to Hogsmede for five.

"Why did the battle have to be at _night_?" Ginny muttered, staring at her piece of toast. Harry just smiled at her.

"Because it wouldn't've been as dramatic if it was during the day time." He muttered back.

Many of them had been dreading this day, for weeks. The news was spread around in January that there would be a memorial service every year at dawn on the 2nd of May to remember those who fell during the war, and to celebrate the new era afterwards.

But the loss of Fred was set heavy over the Burrow. All of them were thinking the same thing-they had lived without Fred in their lives for exactly one year. After this point, they couldn't think, "This time last year, Fred was alive." It made the loss feel so much more real, and Harry felt as if his heart would shatter if he saw his most favourite people in pain any longer. He hoped the celebration party would be happier.

No one said much, but ate a simple breakfast and drank their tea in silence. Ron hadn't said anything since he got up (which took 20 minutes), but sat at the table next to Hermione, holding her hand as if he wouldn't ever let go. Harry wondered if he would at all that day.

Ginny was holding her own pretty well, but then, Ginny had never admitted her feelings out loud. It took almost a month after Fred's death for it to hit her, and when it did, she cried all night. Harry didn't think the tear stains would ever come out of his shirt.

Harry wasn't quite sure how George was going to handle this. That first week was awful-Mrs Weasley was afraid they'd have to take him to St Mungo's-he wouldn't eat anything at all. Eventually, he smiled again, but it was never the same sort of smile.

Harry's family (for he'd belonged to the Weasley's since he met them) were all hurting, and he was afraid this memorial would make it worse. But he had to be brave-he was making a speech.

At five, they all bundled up in warm clothes and disapprated to Hogsmede. They weren't the only one's walking up high street to the gate. Lot's of people had come to remember.

The memorial was to be held near the lake, near Dumbledore's tomb. It felt weird to know he'd died almost two years ago. He felt like he'd been through so much since then-and he had.

The whole of Hogwarts School were all dressed in scarfs and two layers of robes on as they all came to stand around as well. Soon, there were over hundred's of people. Harry wondered how he was supposed to give a speech to all these people, and he fiddled with the paper in his pocket. Ginny gave his hand a squeeze and he felt a bit better.

They left a circle around the tomb and a large tree that stood near it, baring a plaque that read,

_On the 2__nd__ May, 1998, many great people lost their lives, fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts. They fought for a better life, a new era. _

_The Battle was won. But people were taken away from us. _

_We shall always remember. _

Many people had carved the names of those who had died into the tree around them. After one person did it, everyone else did. The ministry found they couldn't stop them, and offended a lot of people when they tried to remove the markings. So they left them there, leaving the old tree looking weathered and old.

Fred's name was written on one of the bigger branches. Harry remembered when they had all come down to trace the name into the bark:

_Fred Weasley, 20-year's-old. _

_Where ever you are, we hope you're safe and getting a kick out of the afterlife. _

_We will always love you. _

It had taken some guts for George to volunteer to write it. When he was done, they were all crying. Even Ginny.

"Welcome all, to the Battle of Hogwarts's Memorial service." Came Kingsley's slow soothing voice. The head's all turned towards the noise and Harry felt his insides turn cold. He wasn't looking forward to this.

As Kingsley talked, Harry looked at the people who had made it to the front of the circle. With a stab, he saw Denis Creevy and who was probably his mother and father. He was holding a camera Harry recognised as Colin's and a photo of him. Colin smiled and waved his camera around in the picture and Harry felt himself smile.

He saw Andromeda, and to his slight surprise, Teddy. He didn't think the one-year-old would be able to handle standing for hours, completely silent, but he immediately knew that he had to be there-in his tiny hand, Teddy held a photo of his father, who's streaked grey hair looked all brown as he gazed at the camera. Harry knew the photo must've been taken by Tonks.

Andromeda held the photo of Tonks herself, her hair changing different colours like Teddy's was now. Andromeda, though holding herself strong, looked defeated in her eyes.

Looking around the circle, he saw many other photos of those who had died. He saw Hannah Abbott with her arm around Ernie McMilliam, who had known someone and was clutching a photo, and Neville wasn't too far away, holding a photo of his parents.

Harry had brought photos of his own parents which he had gotten copies from his old photo album Hagrid gave him. He parents looked happy in it, obviously in the prime of their relationship at Hogwarts as they waved at the camera from a sofa in the Gryffindor common room. He also held a picture of Sirius, taken at Grimauld place during Christmas, and to Ron's amazement, he also held a picture of Severus Snape.

"… It is now time, for us to remember the Battle many of us fought in, and the one's who were lost. Harry Potter, if you could come forward, please."

Harry snapped back with a jolt and didn't move for a second. Ginny whispered "Go on." In his ear, and he walked forwards to the front of the circle, next to the tree and tomb. Casting "sonorous" on himself and pulling out his speech, he wondered if this would make any difference to how people would feel.

He had to try.

"Hello." He said. "Most of you know me … the famous Potter and all that. But there _was_ a time when I felt exactly like all of you. On the night of the Battle, I felt like just some other ordinary person-someone who could've died in a heartbeat, because I could've. We all could've.

"I was terrified that night, because I was so scared for what might happen to all those I loved. And I was scared for myself. Scared for everything, I was even scared for the castle, worried that they were ruining my home. I knew I wasn't the only one feeling like this.

"I saw one of my friends die. I saw the wall explode, and I saw someone who I loved, not moving on the ground. I saw the tears and I saw the fighting. Yet at that point, none of it seemed real, because the one who fell was a real jokester."

At that point, Harry looked over to the Weasley's. He couldn't read many of their expressions, as it was still very dark, though light was starting to peek over the mountains. But he could see George's face, which he could've sworn twitched into a smile.

"I just kept thinking he'd jump up again, saying he was only kidding. And when I saw later, how he _wasn't _getting up again, or how his and my family were hurting so bad, I knew I couldn't look any more.

"But you know curiosity and all that. And I _had_ to see two people who I loved very much, lying there next to each other. They looked so peaceful. They could've been sleeping, and I think for a moment, I forced myself to believe that. They had just had a son, and he wasn't even a month old. Now he was an orphan."

Harry looked at Andromeda as he said this and he saw tears falling in two streaks below her eyes. But she smiled back at him.

"I couldn't believe how all these people-all of them so brave-could've died. I stopped looking right there, because I think I would've had an emotional breakdown if I saw any more.

"Fifty-five people died that day, and I'm sure that many of us here knew them. We must never forget, but remember how these good people fought for freedom. For themselves, and for-for us."

He stammered on the end there, as people started clapping. He walked back to the Weasley's, trying desperately to keep the tears inside him. Hermione had let go and was sobbing on Ron's shoulder. Harry walked over to her and only had to lie a hand on her should before she was hugging them both fiercely. When she finally let go, Ginny took his hand again, and a tear was running down her cheek.

"At this hour." Kingsley was saying. "In these very grounds, this time last year, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was finally destroyed. Those who fell with him, will always be remembered.

"And now, please come forward, one and a time, and add your photo to the pile."

Harry and the Weasley's were third in line, behind Andromeda and Teddy. They moved slowly to the tree and people murmured thank you's, goodbyes and shed some tears. Harry watched as Andromeda placed her photo of her daughter, and pulled out another of her husband. She used her wand to allow them to stick to the tree's branches. Teddy then, as if on command, threw his photo of Remus at the tree. Before it could hit the ground, Andromeda magicked it next to Tonks' picture.

She moved away and allowed the Weasley's to come forward. George magicked their picture for Fred up into the trees, and they all stared at it for a moment, all wishing they didn't have to do that. Harry wished so too. None of them deserved this pain, and Fred didn't deserve to die. At least he died laughing, and teasing Percy-the way he lived his life, really.

He moved past the Weasley's and magicked up his parents' picture near Remus's and Sirius's wasn't far away. He wasn't sure how people were going to think about Snape's picture, but Harry felt he deserved one up there. But he didn't put it near James's picture. He almost felt like laughing when he did that.

The photos took a long time, as there were so many people. The sun was bright pink over the mountains as Kingsley got up again.

"Today is when we remember those lost. Today is also the day we celebrate, the freedom we fought for. Today, is now known, as Free Day, for this reason."

When dawn finally broke the horizon, and they all stayed silent for a minute, standing silently, side-by-side. Once the minute was up several wand sparks were shot into the air, as they all hugged each other-all together, one big group hug. It was like the mourning was over-this time last year, they were celebrating, hugging each other as they were now. That needed to be remembered too.

"Is it really appropriate for us to be celebrating?" Hermione asked Harry later that day, as they joined the party at Hogwarts after the memorial (the students got the day off).

"Yeah …" Harry replied. "I mean, we've had time to cry, and time to be sad. Now, we're allowed to be happy-because this was a good day too, you know. I'm remembering a certain kiss, here."

Hermione grinned shyly and glanced ever where Ron was talking to Neville. "You're right, of course." She said.

"Did you ever doubt me?" Harry asked. "I think that's what all the other's are doing … you know, Remus, Tonks, my parent's and all the other's … Fred wouldn't miss a good party."

The End.

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A/N: What is wrong with me? Lately, i've been churning out all these deep and meaningful fics, so different ot he fluff i usualy write. Maybe i'm finding my inner teen-angst. At least it ends on a happy note -rolls eyes-

Well, as today is the 25th April (ANZAC day) i was up at four thirty to stand in the freezing cold to remember all the New Zealander's (and Australian's, i guess) who died at war. This got me thinking about the HP war, and if they'd have a Dawn service as well.

I _hate _the name "Free Day" but i couldn't think of anyhting else (i asked my mum as she came up with "Hog-wiz Day")(That's a mixure fo the words "Hogwarts" and "Wizards").

I hope you liked it, reviews always apreciated, until next time-

-Moon. : D


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